


One More Drink Then I Swear That I'm Going Home (Truth is I Don't Really Have a Place to Go)

by mthrfkrgdhrwego (universalchampbalor)



Series: Dumb SH AUs [2]
Category: Shadowhunters (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Gangsters, Alternate Universe - Human, Blood, Canon-Typical Violence, Emotional Alec, Español | Spanish, Eventual Smut, F/F, F/M, Flirting, Graffiti, Graphic Description of Corpses, M/M, Oblivious Simon, Past Magnus Bane/Camille Belcourt, Past Raphael Santiago/Camille Belcourt, Polyamory, Pre-Relationship, Running Away, Simon-centric, Simon/Izzy - Freeform, Slow Build, Weapons, a bow and arrow is an impractical weapon for a gang fight but alec doesnt care, and a few others - Freeform, backstories, lydia and alec run the shadowhunters, past Jocelyn Fairchild/Valentine Morgenstern - Freeform, raph and mags run the downworlders, simon/alec, simon/jace - Freeform, there are some spanish phrases, there's gonna be simon/raph as well, there's gonna be:, trigger warning: Camille Belcourt
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-02-04
Updated: 2017-04-16
Packaged: 2018-09-22 01:41:16
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 13
Words: 6,258
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9576239
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/universalchampbalor/pseuds/mthrfkrgdhrwego
Summary: Simon loves his family more than anything else. More than Buffy and Star Wars and comic books and video games. That’s why he ran.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

  * Inspired by [Mustang Kids](https://archiveofourown.org/works/6620323) by [WhimperSoldier](https://archiveofourown.org/users/WhimperSoldier/pseuds/WhimperSoldier). 
  * Inspired by [Children Of The Darkness](https://archiveofourown.org/works/8220859) by [ABlueLightInTheDark](https://archiveofourown.org/users/ABlueLightInTheDark/pseuds/ABlueLightInTheDark). 



Simon loves his family more than anything else. More than Buffy and Star Wars and comic books and video games. That’s why he ran.

He’d seen more than enough dead bodies in his life, seen countless faces splattered with blood, eyes wide in a serene sort of panic. He didn’t need to see his mom and sister’s face amongst them.

He was halfway to out of town when he met them.

They were a pair of girls, laughing in the moonlight. The redhead was tagging a building as the ravenette sung loudly, belting out Beyoncé to an audience of stars.

The redhead turned and saw him as he attempted to sneak by.

“You look pretty rough, man. Got a place to go?” She asked, her voice sugar sweet, mingling with the rattle of the spray paint can.

“Um, no, I don’t.” He said, rubbing the back of his neck sheepishly.

“I’m Clary, and this is Izzy.” The redhead, Clary, said, gesturing to the girl beside her. “What’s your name?” Izzy asked, rising to her feet.

“I’m Simon.” He stammered, attempting to will away the quiver in his voice.

“Come with us. You can stay at our place tonight.” Izzy said, tossing an arm over Simon’s shoulders.

“Alec won’t approve.” Clary warned disinterestedly. Izzy waved her off. “Alec never approves of anything.” She said.

“N-no, it’s fine.” Simon protested. “I don’t want to step on any feet.”

Izzy dismissed his words with a wave of her hand. “Nonsense. I think Meliorn’s clothes might fit you…” She mumbled, raking her eyes over Simon’s body. “Clary, mi vida, can you go get the car?” Clary nodded and jogged down the street.

The drive to their house took 20 minutes, free of traffic. It was awkward for Simon, who sat in the backseat, staring at his knuckles as he listened to the radio and the girls bickering playfully.

The apartment they pulled up to was large. Once in the elevator, Izzy punched in the passcode for the penthouse. Simon felt out of place, dressed in four day old clothes that were ratty at best.

The pent house took up the entire top floor. The foyer they entered had walls lined with paintings and sketches, each signed with a sloppily neat ‘C. Fray.’

In the light of the hallway, Simon could finally see the girls.

Clary had a head of unnaturally orange hair that was pulled into a tight, high pony tail. She was wearing a paint splattered tank top and a pair of torn jeans. Streaks of color ran across her fair skin, mingling with her few tattoos. Her eyes were a bright, shining green. She was smiling warmly.

Izzy’s long, wavy black hair poured down her back, glowing against her tan, tattoo peppered skin. Her plush lips were painted a deadly red, and her dark, alluring eyes were ringed with black. She was wearing a black and grey bralette under a half unzipped mini dress.  Towering heels added to her slight height.

As Clary ushered Simon into a large living room full of plush couches, a boy stepped in front of them.

He was tall and broad, the muscles of his tattooed arms shifting under the sleeves of his black t-shirt as he crossed his arms. His hair, which was shaved close on the sides, was a limp blonde color. His eyes, blazing with a curious light, were blue, except for the lower third of his left eye, which was brown. His unrealistically pink lips were pulled into a smirk, revealing white teeth.

“I see you brought home another stray, Izzy.” He laughed, his voice deep and smooth.

“Clary was never a stray.” She shot back, walking past the boy briskly.

He grinned. “I didn’t mention Clary, but okay. You know Alec will want him to be out of here as soon as he gets home from Magnus’.” The boy said as he moved back to the sofa behind him.

“Alec is never pissy when he gets back from Magnus’. And besides, do you think I care? Alec isn’t the boss here.” Izzy shrugged as she walked down the hall.

“I mean, he is. And he’s the oldest, so we kind of have to listen to him.” The boy called after her, rolling his eyes endearingly.

Izzy came back a few moments later, holding a loose white shirt and some jeans. “These might be a little bit big on you, but they’ll work for the moment. You can go change in the bathroom down the hall. Leave your clothes on the sink, I’ll wash them later.” She said, handing the clothes to Simon. He took them and followed her directions to the bathroom.

He changed quickly, finding that the shirt fit fine and the pants were a bit too long. He cuffed them before stuffing his feet back in his shoes. He returned to the living room, where Clary, Izzy, and the boy were bickering over the TV.

He sat at the edge of the couch, holding his hands in his pockets. He felt awkward and out of place, isolated from these three, who were very clearly good friends.

“Simon, this is my brother, Jace. Jace, this is Simon.” Izzy said with a smile. Simon waved awkwardly, biting his tongue to hold in the rambling he could feel bubbling in the base of his throat.

“What were you doing alone out here at three in the morning?” Jace asked with a cocked eyebrow. All of his attention was focused on Simon, the warmth and amusement of his smile _burning_ like a supernova going off in his hands.

As Simon stammered, trying to choke out an answer, the front door opened.

The boy who stepped through the door was tall, well over 6 foot. His caramel skin was covered in tattoos that matched Jace’s, though they were hidden under his leather jacket. A thick shock of black hair fell into his hazel eyes, which were set in a glare. His lips, which were full and _red_ were pulled into a frown.

“Izzy, really?” He asked as he stormed into the living room. He dropped a bow and a quiver of arrows on the coffee table. He began taking off his gloves in what Simon could only describe as passive aggressive.

“Yes, Alec?” She asked, feigning innocence. So this must be the infamous Alec he’d heard so much about already.

“Another one?” He asked, nodding his head in Simon’s direction.

“I have no clue what you’re talking about, big brother.” Izzy said with a grin, batting her eyelashes.

Alec huffed. “Whatever. Get him out of here.” He called over his shoulder as he walked down the hallway. The sound of a door slamming reverberated through the apartment.

Simon stared at the floor, wishing the couch would open up and swallow him.

“Don’t mind Alec. He’s always been a little up tight.” Jace said with a smirk.

“Heavy is the head that wears the crown.” Clary muttered, rolling her eyes.

“We should get to sleep. Simon, you can sleep in one of the guest rooms. Jace, can you show him one?” Izzy asked through her yawn. Jace nodded and gave a mock salute as Izzy and Clary walked to their room.

Jace led Simon down one of the numerous hallways leading from the living room. The room they ended up in was spacious, a queen bed against one wall, a closet against another. There was a dresser and a nightstand, as well as a bean bag in one corner. The walls were a gentle yellow, and the floor was the same hardwood as every other room he’d seen.

“Someone will make breakfast tomorrow. Get some rest; you look like you need it.” Jace said, casting Simon a wink before leaving, shutting the door behind him.

The bed was comfortable enough, but Simon couldn’t sleep. There was something about being in a house he didn’t know, with people he didn’t trust, that made it hard to sleep.

He wondered how his mother and sister were doing. It had only been a few days, but he couldn’t help but worry. Was his mom worried sick? Was his sister wondering where he was, when he was coming home? He felt bad for leaving them, but he knew he had to. He had to leave them in order to protect them.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> this took me so long to write lol

He woke up the next morning to sunlight streaming through the window directly onto his face. He groaned, reminding himself to tell his mom to stop opening his curtains. He opened his eyes, resigning himself to the fact that he wasn’t going to get anymore sleep.

He didn’t recognize the room he was in.

Instead of his bed, and cluttered desk, and Brooklyn Bridge wall, the walls were an eggshell yellow, there was no desk, and the bed was most certainly not his.

He sat up, panicked, and then remembered. He remembered running away. He remembered wandering for days, occasionally taking the subway. He remembered meeting Clary and Izzy, who took him to their place. He remembered Jace, and Alec.

He made his way back to the living room, spurred on by the delicious smell wafting into his room.

He saw a girl in the kitchen, whistling as she cooked. Her blonde hair was twisted into a long braid that fell over her shoulder. She was wearing a loose button up that was too big on her and a pair of flannel pajama pants. Tattoos similar to the ones the others had were placed here and there on her pale skin.

The floor boards creaked under Simon’s feet as he attempted to sneak back to his room. He froze and turned.

The girl was looking at him, green eyes wide as she smiled. “You must be Simon. Clary and Izzy told me about you. I’m Lydia.” She said, holding out her hand. Simon walked over and shook it, giving her a brief smile.

She handed him a plate piled with bacon, eggs, sausage, and two blueberry muffins. He thanked her and moved to sit at the table next to the kitchen. Lydia set the other plates down on the table and went to wake up the others.

He began eating the muffins, leaving the sausage, eggs, and bacon untouched on the edge of his plate.

People began trickling into the room, until there were eight of them sitting at the table.

Next to Clary sat a woman that looked quite like her, her hair a bit darker and her skin a bit more weathered. Her eyes were a pleasant hazel. She was wearing a blue button up and a pair of jeans. She was pretty clearly Clary’s mom. Next to her was a tall man with dark skin and kind eyes. He had his arm around Clary’s mother, his fingers rubbing over her shoulder absently. He was wearing a button up and slacks. Alec was sitting next to him, followed by Jace, then Simon, and Izzy and Lydia on Simon’s other side.

“Mom, Luke, this is Simon. Simon, this is my mom Jocelyn and my step dad Luke.” Clary introduced, her smile bright as she scarfed down her food.

“Is there something wrong with the food?” Lydia asked, her eyebrows furrowed in a gentle, curious way.

“Oh, no, I’m sure it’s great! I’m Jewish, so I don’t eat pork and eggs.” He explained quickly, a frantic smile on his lips.

“Do you want me to make you something else?” She asked. Simon shook his head. “No, it’s fine. The muffins are delicious.” He answered. Lydia smiled warmly and told him it wasn’t a problem.

The others continued their conversations as if Simon wasn’t even there.

He caught some names and phrases- Raphael, Magnus, Camille, Valentine, The Circle, Shadowhunters, Downworlders… He was _entirely_ lost, but he could tell that this Valentine guy was bad news.

Luke was in the middle of talking about The Downworlders when Simon blurted out, “Why don’t you just confront this Valentine guy?”

All eyes turned to him. He instantly regretted speaking.

“Wow, why didn’t we think of that? Come on guys, let’s go up to the most dangerous gang leader in New York and ask him to stop killing people. I’m sure it’ll go great.” Alec drawled dryly, his eyes focused on Simon, disdain burning in them freely.

“Hey, calm down!” It was Lydia who spoke, dropping her hand on Alec’s shoulder. She stared him down, her eyes hard and expecting.

Alec backed down, rolling his eyes before going back to his food.

“If he’s so dangerous, why haven’t I heard of him?” Simon asked. He didn’t want to speak after Alec bit his head off, but he could tell the others were much nicer.

“You haven’t heard of him since he doesn’t bother with mundies.” Jace said with through a full mouth.

“Mundies?” Simon asked. He wasn’t sure if he should be offended or not, but he felt like he was.

“It’s what some people call civilians. We’re the Shadowhunters. Alec and Lydia are our leaders. Luke’s part of the Downworlders, another gang in the area. They’re led by Alec and Jace’s boyfriend Magnus. Valentine leads the Circle, a group of rogue Shadowhunters who have been attacking and killing other gang members.” Clary explained, looking at Simon to gauge his reaction.

“Great. I left to protect my family and I get wrapped up in gang disputes.” He grumbled, mostly to himself.

“What happened? Protect you family from what?” Jocelyn asked, her tired eyes warm and concerned.

Simon felt like he could trust her.

“I don’t wanna talk about it.” He said, feeling like a petulant child.

Jocelyn immediately backed off. She gave him a maternal smile, her eyes twinkling. “Okay. I’m here if you want to talk. We all are.” She said. The others nodded. Alec grimaced.

The front door slammed open, banging against the wall. They all turned to look.


	3. Chapter 3

Two men were at the door. One waltzed right in, the other stalking behind him.

One was tall and loud, his outfit flamboyant. He was wearing a silky blue shirt unbuttoned down to his belly button, leather pants, and stack boots. His kind, dark brown eyes were ringed with liner and glittery shadow. Glitter rested on the high planes of his cheekbones. No less than three necklaces bounced against his chest as he walked, seven rings adorning his long, slender fingers.

The other was a bit shorter, but still much taller than Simon. His black hair was slicked back, his skin pale and ashy. His lips were _red._ His long, sharp nails were tapping against the leg of his black slacks. A red blazer, black button up, and black tie completed his look, as well as a pair of shiny black oxfords. His brows were set in a furrow, his black eyes dark and angry.

The first man dropped his weight in Alec’s lap, while the other man just sat in one of the vacant chairs.

“Mags, Raph, what are you doing here?” Izzy asked, her eyes shining as she looked at the man in Alec’s lap.

“Mel wanted me to tell Jace that if he skips out on another date, fae will permanently dye his hair that ugly chartreuse.” The one in Alec’s lap said, his eyes shining as he patted Jace’s thigh.

The other man rolled his eyes.

“Four of our vamps went missing a few days ago. We just found them. No blood, circle brand. It’s Valentine’s work.” He said, his voice low and angry.

“Vamps?” Simon asked, unable to bite back his question. All eyes shifted to him. For the third time, he sunk into his seat, wishing a hole would open below him and swallow him.

“Out bikers.” The flamboyant man explained. “Who’s this?”

“Oh, right. This is Simon. Simon, this is Magnus,” Jace gestured to the flamboyant man, “and this is Raphael.” He gestured to the other man, his face splitting into a grin.

Magnus smiled warmly and offered his hand. Simon shook it. Raphael just bared his teeth, revealing metal fangs over his canines.

Simon gulped.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I really like the idea of the vamps wearing grill fangz


	4. Chapter 4

Most of them left to deal with the missing vamps and what that meant for their gangs. Simon stayed back, of course, as well as Jace and Clary.

Simon snuck back to his room, content to stare at the ceiling and do nothing until he was able to leave.

They wouldn't let him; when he offered to get out of their hair, they just ignored it, or told him how much nonsense that was.

Whatever. It's not like he had anywhere to be.

After around two hours of carefully examining every corner of the room, he decided to explore. As long as he didn't mess with anything, he reasoned to himself, he'd be fine.

He found some interesting rooms- there were a ton of guest rooms, lavish bathrooms, a movie screening room, a room filled with pool and air hockey tables and arcade cabinets and all sorts of games. He made mental note of that room.

Finally, he found the gym.

It was a spacious room full of exercise equipment. One wall was entirely mirrors. Jace was at one end of the room, whaling on the punching bag suspended from the ceiling.

His blonde hair was limp with the same sweat that glistened over his skin. His chest was bare, and he was wearing a pair of compressions shorts that left little to the imagination. His hands were wrapped and his hair was pulled back into a bun, though several strands escaped.

Simon stood in the door way, transfixed by the way Jace swiveled through the air, the way his muscles shifted under his golden skin, the way his tattoos morphed as he moved. Simon watched the flex of his biceps, the shift of his back, the rough movement of his chest.

"Hey, Simon." Jace called out, not pausing in his aggressive workout. Simon didn't register the words until a full minute later. He blinked at Jace and stammered for a moment, which just fueled his shit eating grin.

"I literally forgot every word I've ever known." Simon blurted. The tips of his ears turned red, and he felt like a teakettle about to explode from the pressure of the embarrassment pressing into his skin.

Jace's grin grew.

He pulled on a tank top, the muscles in his back flexing as he lifted his arms.

Simon couldn’t help the disappointment boiling in his stomach.

“Wanna go get some Thai food and see a movie or something? I know a place that sells kosher curry.” He said, letting his hair down. A large chunk fell in his face, covering his eyes. He didn’t brush it back.

“Uh… is it okay for me to leave? Earlier they wouldn’t let me.” Simon said, clearing his throat awkwardly. His entire face- and his neck, for that matter- were still burning.

“You’ll be with me. Don’t worry about it. Alec and Lydia are just paranoid about Shadowhunter secrets getting out.” He said with a toothy grin.

“Oh… okay, sure, let’s go.” Simon answered, trying to ignore the way his voice cracked.

“Sweet. I’ll go shower and change and we’ll go.” Jace said with a smirk. He winked at Simon as he left the gym.

Simon had to sit down.


	5. Chapter 5

Jace was surprisingly easy to talk to, once Simon got over how attractive he was.

That, and how he kept winking at Simon.

They walked to the Thai restaurant Jace had mentioned, walking side by side down the busy Brooklyn sidewalk. Jace’s arm kept bumping Simon’s, their fingers brushing together. He smelled of sandalwood and roses, but buried deeper was another smell, something heady and all together… _Jace._

Simon wanted _more_ of it.

The restaurant was a small little hole in the wall shop, obviously family owned. The summer heat sat like a wet blanket in the air, suffocating Simon. Jace ordered some Pad Thai, and Simon got kosher red curry.

The meal was… nice. The food was good- way better than anything Simon had eaten the past few days. Jace was nice company. He was distractingly attractive and he didn’t get Simon’s references, but he laughed at his jokes and listened to his rambling with a smile.

After they ate, Jace dragged Simon behind him, mentioning something about a shopping center. It was quite a walk. By the time they reached their destination, Simon was heavily panting, a stitch forming in his side.

Jace was fine.

He dragged Simon around the mall, buying him clothes and shoes. Simon was grateful- he had maybe three pairs of clothes (all dirty) and his muddy, scuffed boots. Still, he didn’t want to bother anyone, didn’t want them spending their money on him.

Jace just ignored it.

They were walking back when Jace’s phone rang.

He handed the bags he was carrying over to Simon as he answered, pressing the phone to his ear. “Yeah? Out shopping. Why? Ale- A- Alec! Calm down. It’s fine. He’s with me. We just got some food and went to get him some clothes.” Simon could only heat the one side of the conversation, which sounded stilted and awkward. It was clear that Jace was talking to a furious Alec, who was likely going crazy about Simon not being at the penthouse.

Jace hung up and looked at Simon, smiling apologetically.

“We should get back. I’ll catch a cab.” He said, bumping his shoulder against Simon’s, who nodded numbly.

He made Alec mad.

He doubted he’d have a bed to sleep in that night.


	6. Chapter 6

When they arrived at the penthouse, Alec was standing at the end of the foyer, arms crossed over his chest as he _glowered_ at Simon.

“Go easy on him. It isn’t his fault.” Jace said in lieu of greeting. He clapped a hand on Alec’s shoulder, walking past his brother to put Simon’s bags in his room.

Alec continued to stare through Simon, angry practically pouring off him in waves. “I can’t believe Izzy brought home another Mundie.” He muttered. “If you so much as _think_ about spilling anything you hear while you stay here, I will make sure they never find your body.” He hissed, jabbing his finger into Simon’s chest. “Got it?” He nodded frantically.

“I’ll be out of your hair by the morning.” He blurted, teeth sinking into his inner cheek. Alec nodded.

“Good.”  



	7. Chapter 7

Sneaking out of a house filled with seven other people was more difficult than Simon anticipated.

He had everything gathered and was sneaking to the door at 2 am when it opened.

Standing there was a person with long black hair that faded to a dark blue. A small leaf tattoo was buried into the dark skin over their cheek. Gold covered their lips. They were wearing loose clothes and no shoes.

Simon froze.

The person appraised him, carefully taking in every detail. “You must be Simon.” They said after a minute, voice calm and silky.

He nodded and attempted to slip past them when the light turned on.

Jace was at the mouth of the foyer, his hand still resting on the light switch. His mouth was pulled into a crooked smile, his teeth glinting dangerously in the light.

“Mel! What’re you doing here?” He asked, pulling the person into a tight hug. They laughed.

“Magnus called me over. Said he had some Downworlder business to discuss.” They said, thumping their hand against Jace’s back.

Simon, who had been trying to leave the penthouse, almost jumped out of his skin when a hand grabbing his elbow pulled him to a stop.

“Mel, this is Simon. Clary and Izzy brought him in. Simon, this is Meliorn. They’re one of the Downworlders. They’re a Seelie. Er, a medic.” Jace explained.

Simon nodded.

“Anyway, Mags is in Alec’s room. Make sure to knock before you go in. Izzy and Clary are in their room if you want to visit.” Jace winked, finally releasing Meliorn. They nodded and silently moved down the hall.

Jace turned to Simon.

“So,” he began, tapping his foot gently. “Why do you have a bag? Are you trying to leave?” He asked, an eyebrow raised starkly as concern filled his eyes.

“I told Alec I’d be gone by morning. He obviously doesn’t want me here.” Simon answered, avoiding eye contact like the plague.

“Stay as long as you like. Izzy and I will talk to him. Get some sleep.” Jace said, voice soft, squeezing Simon’s shoulder. He nodded, shell-shocked.

Simon was sure that this would be the weirdest house he’d ever stayed in.  



	8. Chapter 8

Simon woke up the next morning to a cacophony of voices.

Quickly tossing on a t-shirt and a pair of jeans, he made his way to the living room. The voices sounded frantic, and he was trying to tamper down the panic rising in his throat.

Clary, Izzy, Jace, Magnus, Alec, and Meliorn were arguing loudly. They were scattered throughout the living room, gesticulating wildly.

They all stopped when they saw Simon.

“Do you know how to fight?” Izzy asked. She was the closest to Simon, practically blocking his way. She was clutching his hands in hers, eyes gleaming with desperation.

“Yeah. I can use knives pretty well, and guns are alright.” He answered, refusing to meet her curious gaze.

“Good. You’re coming with us.” She said, an air of finality coloring her words.

“Izzy.” Alec said sharply, his face monotone. There was a harsh glint in his eyes, warning coloring his voice.

“No, Alec. You said it yourself- we need all the help we can get.” Clary interjected, crossing her arms. She stood her ground, staring down Alec, who had a good foot of height over her.

“Biscuit’s right.” Magnus said softly, placing a hand on Alec’s shoulder. “Valentine has been hunting warlocks. We require far more help than I can provide. If Simon can fight, then Simon is fighting.” He said, his fingers digging into his boyfriend’s shoulder.

Alec tossed his hands up. “Fine. Get him armed. The _second_ anything goes wrong, he’s dead.” He snapped, storming out of the room.

“Can someone fill me in?” Simon asked meekly, his voice almost inaudible in the near silent room.

Izzy sighed. “Valentine has surfaced. Some of Luke’s wolves tracked him down. We need to strike before they know we know where they are. We would use vamps and warlocks to help us-.” Magnus cut her off. “But, Valentine has been hunting us. We’ve been finding Downworlders bled dry all over town.”

Simon nodded slowly. “I’m in. It’s not like I’ve got anything better to do.” He said with a shrug.

As soon as Jace grinned at him, he felt like he made a mistake.


	9. Chapter 9

_God,_ Simon’s luck sucked.

Things had been going great- the raid on Valentine’s base went off without a hitch. Valentine hadn’t been there, but there was a small army’s worth of Circle members to deal with.

They had been on their way back when _she_ appeared.

Her name was Camille Belcourt, according to Magnus, who had spat the name as if it burned him. Simon’s first thought was that she was _pretty._ He didn’t have time for a second thought before he was unconscious.

He woke up in a lavish room, splayed out on a plush leather couch. He was bleeding from a wound at his hairline, the warm, sticky blood dripping down his forehead.

The vamp from before- Raphael- was standing guard, his jaw clenched as he watched over Simon.

“Where am I?” He asked, panicking. He sat up- too quickly- his head throbbing and his lunch rising in his throat.

“You’re at the DuMort. It’s the base of vamp operations.” Raphael said, disinterest coloring his voice grey. “Camille brought you here. Congratulations.” He stepped closer. “You’re a bargaining chip.” He grinned, flashing his metal fangs.

Simon was certain that he was going to die in a room more expensive than his childhood home.


	10. Chapter 10

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> tw for implied sexual assault (its from camille) it's mentioned in the last sentence of the first paragraph if you want to skip it

Simon was certain he was going to die here.

Raphael seemed disinterested and didn’t speak outside of a few scathing remarks. Camille came back several times, though she didn’t stay for longer than a few minutes. She made Simon feel like he was floating, residing on a pink cloud. At some point, he stopped minding how she touched him.

The other vamps came and went, occasionally leering at him, making jokes at his expense. He was helpless, only able to sit still, not touch anything, and take it. At some point, he started bleeding from his neck. In his almost delirious state, he began to wonder if the term ‘vampire’ was just a moniker.

He doesn’t know how long he stayed at the DuMort.

All he remembered about his ‘rescue’ was cowering from a tall, sleazy vampire one moment and staring down the shaft of one of Alec’s arrows the next.

The ride back to the Shadowhunters penthouse was tense. He couldn’t bring himself to look at, much less talk to, the ones that rescued him- Clary, Izzy, Alec, and Jace. The girls were nice in a way that made his skin crawl. Their words tasted too much like pity.

Alec kept giving him worried glances thinly veiled as glares. His grip on the steering wheel was causing his knuckles to go white. Jace kept looking at him, eyes tired, his fingertips digging into Simon’s knee.

He didn’t have the strength to move it.


	11. Chapter 11

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *BANGING FISTS ON TABLE* LET! ALEC! BE! EMOTIONAL!

Simon slept for nine days.

The others didn’t bother him too much. Meliorn showed up on the first day to treat his wounds, but they were silent the entire time and left as soon as possible. The others took turns bringing him food that he usually didn’t eat. Jocelyn made sure he was comfortable, as did Luke, on occasion. Lydia didn’t look at him outside of a few disdainful glances. Clary left little doodles with his food sometimes. Two or three times, he woke up to a fat tabby cat sleeping on his chest.

Four separate times, he woke up to Jace sitting in the beanbag chair pressed into the corner. Twice he was asleep, blonde hair fanned out over his face as he snored. The other two times, he was awake, scribbling away at a notepad, glancing at Simon occasionally.

What surprised him the most was when Alec came to check on him.

It was eight days after Simon got back. He hadn’t left his room once, only getting out of bed to use the adjoined restroom. He was ignoring every single person who entered the room, regardless of who they were or what they wanted. He felt apathetic to the world.

Alec had stepped into the room without knocking. Simon merely looked at him from beneath his mountain of blankets. He couldn’t even bring himself to groan.

“How are you doing?” Alec’s voice had been wrecked, as if he hadn’t spoken in several days. He sat on the foot of the bed, which was closer than anyone else had gotten. His hair was ruffled, standing on end in some places and matted down in others. His eyes were sunken in, the whites turned an angry red. He was wearing an ill-fitting sweater that hung off his shoulders, a pair of pajama pants that swallowed his legs, and a ratty pair of house slippers.

He looked like hell.

“I’m sorry that you got kidnapped. I didn’t mean for you to get hurt. There’s a reason I don’t like Mundies coming along on missions.” He said quietly, staring at the stained molding. “Izzy and Jace talked to me. I… I realized that I was being ridiculously rude to you. I’m sorry. You… you can stay here as long as you like.” He stood, wavering slightly on his feet before he made his way to the door. He stopped in the doorway and looked at Simon. “I hope you feel better.” He left.

That was one of the only reasons Simon got out of bed.


	12. Chapter 12

Slowly, the group started accepting him. He was becoming one of them, bit by bit. He went on missions, nothing super drastic happening.

He started to feel…comfortable with them.

He told them about his past six months after he showed up. They’d been drinking- him, Alec, Jace, Izzy, Clary, Raphael, and Magnus- spending time to relax and pretend like they weren’t in the middle of a gang war.

“How are you so good with knives? You don’t seem like the type.” Magnus said, forming his words around the rim of his cocktail glass. He was drinking a Singapore Sling, something no one else could dream of making.

It took Simon a moment to respond.

“My dad died when I was in middle school. After that, my mom started drinking. By the time I started high school, we were low on money and my mom couldn’t pull herself away from the bottle long enough to work. I started picking up odd jobs here and there. Somehow, I ended up with a knife in my hand and an offer for a thousand dollars. Next thing I know, I’m covered in blood and standing over a body. But, I was richer than I had been, so I figured it wasn’t too bad. I got good at it by the time I was sixteen. When I was 19, I got a special hit, according to the customer. I went after the wrong kind of person not realizing it. They threatened my mom and sister, so I left. Now I’m here.” He answered with a shrug. He downed half of his beer in one go and tried to hide the trembling in his hands.

They fell silent.

“My mom hid Shadowhunter business from me my whole life. She got Magnus to help her with alibis and stories. She had a whole fake life that I thought was real. I only found out when Valentine kidnapped her. Then I found out that Valentine was my dad, and Jace’s.” Clary said quietly.

“My religious mother won’t talk to me anymore. In her mind, I might as well be a demon. She doesn’t care that I’m still catholic. Since I’m in a gang, I’m pure evil.” Raphael added bitterly, downing his wine.

“Cheers. To having fucked up lives.” Jace said, holding his shot aloft. They clinked glasses solemnly.

“It’s not all bad. I mean, without you guys, I’d be married to someone I could never love.” Alec said with a shrug, knocking back his four-horseman shot.

“I forgot about the whole Lydia thing.” Clary said absently. “At least you have Mags now.”

“Hold up.” Simon said, lifting his hand. “I’m missing something. What was this about you and Lydia?” He asked, unable to bite back an incredulous laugh.

“So, about a year ago, some shit happened with our family. Our parents are well revered Shadowhunters, and apparently we did something to fuck up the family name. So, in order to fix everything, I was going to marry Lydia. Her family had a really good name, so it would fix everything. We were at the alter when Magnus stormed in. My mom tried to kick him out, but he refused. Somehow, I ended up making out with him. In front of everyone.” Alec laughed, knocking back another shot.

“Clary and I dated for a while. That was before the whole ‘we’re actually siblings’ thing happened. That was pretty awkward.” Jace joked, followed by a long gulp of his zombie.

“I dated Camille.” Magnus said simply. Everyone in the room nodded in understanding.

“So did I.” Raphael laughed bitterly.

They spent the night laughing, drunk off their asses, as they shared relationship horror stories and how they got into the whole gang business. At four AM Jocelyn came in and told them to go to bed and handed each of them a glass of water.

As he lay in bed, head still swimming with booze, Simon realized he felt as if he was at home.


	13. Chapter 13

Simon found out about the mask a month later.

He was cleaning his knives, making sure they were polished and free of blood. He had cleaned most of the ten he had, though he had two in desperate need of a cleaning. He had left his room to grab some more oil when he came face to face with a man in a mask.

The mask was a golden skull that dripped down his face. The rigid material gleamed dangerously in the harsh light. The grim, deathly smile on his face almost gave Simon a heart attack.

He reacted without thinking, swinging the switchblade in his hand. The man blocked, disarming him easily. He tossed the knife on the ground and pushed Simon against the wall.

“Dude, you’re gonna kill someone one day if you just react like that.” The man said as he released Simon. The voice, a deep, slow drawl, was oddly familiar.

Simon’s brow furrowed. “Jace?” He asked, his voice uncertain. The man pulled off the mask, revealing tan skin, bicolored eyes, and soft blonde hair.

“What?” Jace asked, dropping the mask on the coffee table. The hard material hit the wood with a thunk.

“Why are you wearing a mask?” Simon asked, his brow furrowed. Jace shrugged.

“I have a hit to go do. Don’t want my face all over the news. It’s deep in wolf territory, and I don’t want anyone realizing that I’m a Shadowhunter.” He said, pulling the mask back on. “We have a room full of masks. You can pick one out if you want.” He said as he left.

Simon blinked hard.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i binge consumed a bunch of FAHC stuff and I really like the idea of Jace in a mask, so
> 
> he's a bit of a mix between the Vagabond and the Golden Boy

**Author's Note:**

> I'm in-malace-we-trust on Tumblr! Come bug me!  
> title credit to pour me by hollyood undead


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